Laura
by ThunderGirl3000
Summary: What if the Once-ler met a girl instead of the lorax? Well things will get more interesting, and THAT is a FACT.
1. Prologue

"Alright, Girls!" A young man with black hair and blue eyes said, catching the attention of 6 girls as he held a baby girl with light orange hair and blue eyes and a Sunflower in her hair.

"Dada." she said as she pulled on his hair, trying to get his attention. He just giggled.

"Sunny, Not daddy's hair." the young man whispered before turning around. "ROSE! BLOSSOM!"

Two twin girls that looked about six, One with medium length black hair and green eyes with a blossom in her hair and one with medium length red hair and brown eyes with a rose in her hair turned to him.

"Daddy, Rosie's using my hairbrush!" The girl with black hair whined.

"Blossom's using MY hairbrush, daddy!" the young redhead retaliated.

"Will you two cut it out!" The man replied before turning to a young, long black haired, blue eyed four year old girl with a Poppy in her hair and handing her Sunny. "Poppy, sweetie can you hold your sister for a minute?"

The man approached the two girls and switched the two hairbrushes. "There, See? It wasn't so hard!"

Blossom and Rose gasped and hugged their father. "thanks Daddy!"

The man smirked and shook his head. his smirk disappeared when he realized something. "Wait, where's Tulip? DAISY! LAVENDER!"

in a flash, a twelve year old girl with orange hair and blue eyes and a Daisy in her hair and a ten year old girl with black hair and green and blue eyes with a Lavender in her hair were already in front of their father.

"Daisy Colette Once-ler, reporting for duty, sir!" The twelve year old spoke firmly.

"Lavender Miriam Once-ler, ALSO reporting for duty, sir!" The ten year old spoke right after her sister.

"Where's Tulip?" The once-ler asked.

"Tulip? She should be with Ivy and Lilac." Daisy replied.

"Ok, well call them." He said, crossing his arms.

Lavender nodded and blew a whistle as loud as she could. "Tulip Augustine Once-ler, Ivy Bianca Once-ler and Lilac Olivia Once-ler, Right side up! Report!"

As soon as she screamed that, A sixteen year old girl with light red hair with black streaks and brown eyes with a light blue tulip in her hair came running through the door, followed by a fourteen year old girl with curly black hair with brown eyes with a Lilac in her hair walking in, texting on her phone, and a fifteen year old with brown hair and green eyes walking it knitting a sweater.

"Tulip Augustine Once-ler, reporting for duty!" The sixteen year old yelled.

"Ok, You need to stop that Tulie." The fifteen year old Ivy said before turning to her other sister. "And Lilac, can you get off that thing for one second?"

"No." Lilac replied bluntly. "Now, What did you want, Pops?"

"Lilac, It's story time." The Once-ler replied bluntly.

Lilac yeeted her phone away and sat down. "Bobby can wait, I can't miss story time."

Ivy rolled her eyes, Lavender, Tulip, Daisy and her sat down as well, along with Rose, Blossom and Poppy.

"Ok, So we have Blossom, Daisy, Ivy, Lavender, Lilac, Poppy and Rose..." The Once-ler role-called, before rubbing his chin. "Hmm...We're missing a few people. Marigold!"

A young eight year old girl with Marigold hair and hazel brown eyes with a marigold in her hair trudged downstairs, still sleepy.

"What is it, Dad-ler?" Marigold asked.

"Aww, sweetie did i wake you?" The Once-ler said in a cutesy manner. "I'm sowwy."

"_Dad_! I'm not five anymore!" Marigold whined. "Is it story time?"

"yeah, Now get down here, twerp." Lilac replied.

Marigold blew a raspberry at Lilac and went to sit down next to Ivy. the once-ler smirked and shook his head. Who knew his daughters would have his personality.

Just then, the door opened, and everyone turned to see a beautiful young woman with Mid-back length orange hair, perfect light blue eyes, wearing a green nature dress, She looked about thirty, but she couldn't look a day older. The Once-ler sighed lovingly as she walked in with a little three year old girl with long white hair and blue eyes with a white Lily in her hair.

"Hey, honey!" She said. "I found Lily. She was with the bar-ba-loots."

"Hi, papa." Lily said shyly.

The once-ler was too love-struck to pay attention. The woman looked at him worriedly.

"Oncie?"

He shook his head and got out of his gaze. He turned to her and smiled sheepishly.

"Oh! Sorry, honey. Hey where's Petunia?" The Once-ler asked.

"Petunia? I'm pretty sure she's hiding somewhere."

"Not again. PETUNIA DIANA ONCE-LER, GET OUT HERE THIS INSTANT!" The Once-ler called. In an instant a 17 year old girl with shoulder length orange and black striped hair and green eyes with a petunia in her hair rushed out from her room, She held on to a nearby shelf, clearly out of breath.

"Huff...Puff...Y-yes, father?" Petunia asked.

"Honey, come sit down, its story time." The woman said.

"Yes, mother."

"Now, all we need are-"

Three girls walked in with instruments in their hands. One girl was a thirteen year old with short black hair and brown eyes with a Bluebell in her hair holding a flute, another was a 16 year old girl with dark blue eyes and dazzling mid back length white hair with a Jasmine in her hair with a tambourine in her hand and a young six year old with mid length dark brown hair and light brown eyes and a small Buttercup in her hair holding a accordion.

"Bluebell! Jasmine! Buttercup, you're just in time for story time!" The once-ler greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Pops. Bluebell was just talking about somebody she met. I think his name was Derek?" Buttercup said as she sat next to Rose.

"No i wasn't, Buttercup!" Bluebell said with a huff.

"Oh, So there's a _boy_, huh?" The Once-ler asked in suspicion.

"Ugh, Nobody important, Daddy." Bluebell groaned. "Its just a guy, and we met at the concert and we're just acquaintances."

The Once-ler raised an eyebrow. "acquaintances?"

"yes, Dad. Now can we get on with story time?"

"Not till your big sister comes home." The woman said.

Just then, An eighteen year old walked in, A dark green hood covering the majority of her black hair, and almost her light blue eyes, she was wearing a green shirt with pink flowers printed all over it and blue skinny jeans holding a guitar, she looked so much like her father.

"Hey Violet." The woman said with a smile. "had a good day?"

"Hey, Mom. Yeah, it was great..." Violet responded.

The woman's smile turned into a frown when she saw the hood. "Hiding your hair from your friends again?"

"...Maybe?"

"Aw, Come on kid, you know your friends will accept your looks." The once-ler cooed.

"I don't wanna take any risks, Dad." Violet mouthed. "I hate people seeing me like that."

"And who cares what they think?" The woman started.

"I do, Mom! I do!" Violet said. Silence fell over the room, then Violet sat down by the window sill.

"Ok, Now that everyone's here, It's time for a story." the once-ler spoke, breaking the silence.

"Oh, What's it about, daddy?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, what's it about?" Everyone but Violet asked repeatedly.

"Ok, Ok, everyone settle down." The once-ler ushered before holding his wife close to him. "Now, everyone knows when i met your mother. But does anyone know HOW i met your mother?"

Everyone gasped. The lady chuckled.

"yes, Your father was quite the trouble maker back then."

"Oh, I wonder why~" The once-ler teased flirtatiously, to which The woman pushed his face away. "Haha, Laura~!"

"Laura? That's mom's name?" Jasmine asked.

"yes, Jazzy. It is." Laura replied. "Your father actually named me that."

"Wow, Dad's really good at naming." Blossom gushed.

"Yes...He sure is.." Laura smiled as she turned to her husband lovingly.

"Welp, Anyway, Here goes nothing." The once- ler grabbed his guitar." Ok girls, grab a toy you love, This story's like no other. This is the story...of how i met your mother."


	2. Meeting the Girl of his dreamsSorta

Twenty years ago, In a small country side, A young once-ler walked out of his barn house, followed by his family: His mother, twin Brothers, his aunt and his uncle.

"Welp, here i go, mom!" The once-ler waved as he lunged his luggage on his wagon. "Off to change the world with my thneed!"

He hopped in and grabbed onto the rope. "Ha...I'm actually doing it!"

"Yes..." His mother sighed. "But just remember, Oncie. If somehow your "invention" ends up a failure instead of a success...IT WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME AT ALL!"

She and the rest of her family burst into laughter, One of his brothers, Brett, walked up to his wagon and punched his shoulder so hard it nearly broke.

"Hey, nice wheels! Burn!" He laughed, only to be kicked in the rear end by The once-ler's mule Melvin.

"Haha...yeah, burn!" The once-ler replied sarcastically. "But you'll see, Ok?! I'm gonna prove you all wrong! come on, Melvin, ya!"

* * *

"Wow, Grandma's a jerk..." Rose said, interrupting the story.

"Who would've thought she was so...mean." Marigold added.

"Oh, sweetie, you're grandma's not a jerk..." the Once-ler said reassuringly. "She just traumatized and belittled me for a couple of years, don't worry."

His daughters and wife looked at him with horrified expressions on their faces. Did she really do that?

"Ok, That's kinda disturbing." Lilac grimaced.

"Disturbing? Its flat out concerning!" Ivy protested.

"ANYWAY!" The once-ler said nervously, changing the subject. "On with the story!"

* * *

The Once-ler searched for the perfect material for his invention. It took days, maybe even months... He walked through scorching desserts, cold, merciless weather, and thorny bushes, until one day...

Melvin stopped at a particular spot and gasped at what he saw, He turned and whinnied at his owner, but when he realized he was asleep, he kicked the wagon, jolting him awake.

"We're gonna be there, soon, I'm sure...it's like-" the Once-ler paused and stared at the amazing display. "Whoa..."

Standing before him was a forest, filled with beautiful birch trees with Different colored tufts on them replacing the leaves, ranging from Orange to bright red. The Once-ler was flabbergasted as he got out of his wagon to get a closer look at the beauty.

"This...is...the most...beautiful place..." The Once-ler said, all choked up in his words. "Mkay, I have ever seen...!"

As he approached the forest, a trio of orange fish noticed him and greeted him with a song, and danced their way to their pond, The Once-ler stared in amazement as brown Bar-ba-Loots climbed on top of each other to get the pinkish fruits that hung from these colorful plants, Swommie- Swans flew over the valley gracefully, some taking care of their young, and best of all the humming fish finished their song and dove back into their pond.

"This is it!" The Once-ler exclaimed happily as he played his guitar passionately. The creatures surrounded him in wonder as the strange man continued to play.

_🎶 This is the Place~! _

_These truffula Trees are just what I need~! _

_Gonna chop one down, and make my thneed~!🎶_

"But first!" The onceler said, unknowingly knocking out a Bar-ba-loot with his guitar.

🎶 _Na! Na! Na na na na! _

_ Na na, Na na, na na,_ Now you! 🎶

The Creatures joined in this catchy tune and walked with him to a certain spot at the bottom of the hill.

🎶 _Na! Na! Na na na na!_

_Na na, Na na, na na na na! _🎶

The Onceler danced to the beat as he unloaded his cart.

🎶_So now, our friendship can begin!_

_Hand in hand, and wing and fin!_

_There's nothing you and i can't do,_

_So lets all make my dreams come Truuuuue-a-yodeloo,_

_a-yodeloo a-yodelayhee-hehoo! _🎶

The creatures froze in horror as he started to unknowingly throw dangerous objects all over the place, narrowly hitting them. from Saws to cutlasses, the display was just horrific.

The Once-ler continued to yodel, slowly starting to realize no-one was singing with him, when he did, he nervously stared at the creatures, who now held his sharp equipment.

"Hey guys..." He smiled nervously. "Come on, Where's my backup chorus?"

the bears growled and hissed at him in response. all except the big fat one, he didn't really know what was going on.

"What?!" the Once-ler yelped before backing away.

he pulled out a bag marshmallows as a shield. "Aha! Oh..."

One of the bar-ba-loots pounced at him and ripped the bag open with his teeth. Millions of soft white cylinders flew in the air, causing the creatures to gaze in wonder at the tasty display, they flew at it, tasting its sweet flavors and rubbing their stomachs in satisfaction. The Once-ler smiled at them all, making sure that he was on their good side. He then turned and grabbed his ax and approached a truffula tree with reddish-pink tufts on it. He sighed.

"Alright. Here i go. About to make a thneed, about to change the world..."

The Once-ler swung his ax for a second, and re-swung it, hitting the wood of the trunk of the truffula tree, with a sound that frightened the creatures. The sound became louder as he chopped, they all ran away and hid, as the tree fell down with one mighty snap.

"Haha, Check it out guys- Eh? Where did everybody go?"

The Once-ler shrugged and took his newly chopped tree to his surprisingly quickly built tent.

* * *

"WHAT?!" Marigold gasped, interrupting the story this time.

"You chopped down a _tree_?!" Violet croaked.

"Daddy, how could you!" Blossom sobbed as she buried her face on Rose's chest.

"Wow, Dad. Just...Wow." Lilac spoke.

"Girls, Girls!" Laura spoke. "It's alright."

"No! It's not OK, Momma!" Bluebell argued. "Do you know what could have happened if he did it again?! AND AGAIN?!"

Both parents flinched and looked at each other worriedly. They had a feeling their daughters wouldn't like the part where-

"W-we'll get to that part later..." Laura replied before clearing her throat. "Besides, If your father hadn't chopped that tree, Neither you nor I would be here."

The Once-ler hung his head. "That was the only time I don't regret doing that." He muttered sadly.

"And that means...What now?" Lilac asked.

"Well..." Laura said.

* * *

The forest creature surrounded the now empty tree stump, not branch, no long stem...no tufts? Nothing. just a short cylinder piece of wood stuck on the ground. Two fish approached it, one of this give it a gentle knock. At first nothing happened, But then, Suddenly a pink tail of light started to spiral around the stump, The fish slapped his friend for making the mistake, The light began to spiral faster, until it formed a puff of pink smoke with a figure in side of it, It looked strange, like it was taking the form of a woman...A WOMAN. Once the smoke subsided, the figure appeared to be a woman with a long green dress that flowed down her ankles, her snowy skin glowed gently in the sunlight, her Orange hair flowed to about Mid-back length. The creature stared in awe as she opened her eyes...Her eyes...they were like the hearts of the ocean. She shook her head and looked down to see the creatures staring at her. She smiled and bent her back to get a closer look.

"Hello, there." She spoke softly, with the voice of soft and sweet butterfly milk. She smiled sweetly at them all.

The smallest bar-ba-loot approached her hesitantly, wondering whether or not to trust her. her smile shone as she picked him up to face her.

"It's alright, little one. " She smiled sweetly. "I won't hurt you."

Pipsqueak's frown slowly turned into a smile as she hugged him gently. The creatures followed suit as she stepped off of the stump. It was then she realized what she stepped off of and gasped and turned to it before putting the small creature down. She shook her head in disbelief as she fell to her knees before a tear fell down her face as she placed a hand on the stump.

"Who did this...?" She croaked, not taking her eyes off of the stump. "What kind of MONSTER would do this?"

She felt a tug on her dress and she turned to see Pipsqueak pointing in a direction, she turned to see the Once-ler plucking tufts off the poor plant. She gasped in realization and a pint of anger.

"Wait here." Was all that escaped her lips before she approached the strange man.

* * *

The Once-ler sung to himself as he plucked. Now that he found his perfect material for his invention, he can finally be a success!

"Excuse me." A sweet but stern voice interrupted.

The Once-ler gasped and tumbled on his back. He didn't know someone was there as well, He looked up. blocking the sun from his view to look at the figure properly. It was a young woman, who looked about his age, with mid-back length orange hair that glowed softly in the sunlight, so did her snowy skin, her light blue eyes seemed to sparkle as she glared at him. The Once-ler's jaw dropped at this unreal beauty. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life, and he knew for a fact because he searched half of the globe.

"W-what...?!" The Once-ler stammered as he stood up to face the woman, who turned out to be a few inches shorter than him.

She pushed her face onto his to look intimidating, i suppose, but in his eyes, she looked adorable.

"Did you chop this tree?" She asked menacingly, yet so melodiously that the Once-ler's cheeks flushed a little bit.

"Why yes." He said flirtatiously before flexing his non existent muscles in front of her. "These bad boys picked up that ax right there and they did a lot of talking, if you know what i mean~"

"AX?!" She squealed, causing him to flinch. She knelt to the now chopped tree and picked up a piece of its tuft, careful not to pluck it off. "You chopped this innocent tree, with that dangerous weapon?!"

"Um...yes?"

"You...ANIMAL." She croaked.

"Um...I'm sorry, but does the lovely maiden have a name?" The Once-ler asked, completely ignoring her insult.

"Name?" The woman asked.

"Wha- You don't know what a name is?" He said in shock.

"Well, I can't say that I do..." She said softly.

"Hmm...How about..." He thought hard at what to call this pretty girl. "Laura. It's what my mom wanted to name me if i was a girl."

"Laura..." She tried her best not to smile. "You know what? I'm gonna take this "name", But i'm highly offended by it."

"Right...So what's a lovely mysterious girl like you, doing in a place like this?" The Once-ler asked, trying to look as flirty as possible.

"Wha- I LIVE here!" She growled.

"Oh. Well-"

"And The fact that you chopped this beautiful tree shows that you have no respect for nature at all!"

"I-I just-"

"So, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Oh. WAIT-WHAT?!"

"Leave. Vacate the Premises. Take your Ax. Get out." Laura said bluntly. "Scram. Skedaddle. Take a hike-"

"I get it, I get it, I get it!" He yelled. "But I can't leave, I just got here!"

"Oh yes, you can. And You WILL. Now get out of here, before i get mad." She replied.

The Once-ler's lips curled into a seductive smile. "You. Mad at me?"

Then the laughter, OH that laughter. It was enough to make a woman blush, but Laura didn't fall for it. In FACT, she didn't like it one BIT.

"I fail to see the JOKE." She sneered.

"I'm sorry, It's just..." The Once-ler wiped a tear from his face. " I have never seen something or SOMEONE that is as sweet as roses turn into as sour as lemons in ONE day, That just can't happen."

Laura stared at him in confusion, then at the creatures not knowing what the heck he was talking about.

"Well then, I guess we're doing this the hard way." She said bluntly before approaching his tent, Once-ler wondering what unpredictable acts she was going to do. Then, Without warning, and no trouble at all, Laura kicked a peg off the ground and ran to the next one. The Once-ler gasped.

"Hey-What are you- Stop that!" He yelled, running after her, grabbing his hammer and hammering the peg back in its place.

"Catch me if you can, Beanstalk!" She teased before kicking another peg off.

"Oh-ho-ho! Getting naughty, are we?" he asked flirtatiously before chasing after her and hammering the peg down, man this girl was REALLY determined.

Laura kicked off another one as she heard that. She gasped and looked at him in disgust. "Oh, why you disgusting little-"

Little did she know, The Once-ler planned this the whole time and when she wasn't looking, he grabbed and put her in a dip pose.

"Haha! Caught you off guard, didn't I?" He teased, making her really uncomfortably. "You know, I've seen pretty girls before, but I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life! Especially up close-"

Then without warning, Laura kicked him right in the nuts and ran to the next peg.

"OW!" He yelped, holding his crouch from the sudden pain he endured. he then watched her kicked the same first peg she kicked.

"Oh, I LIKE a woman who's rough!" he laughed before chasing her.

"Oh, You haven't seen me yet!" She teased back.

The chasing lasted a minute, until the Once-ler accidentally had Pipsqueak roped, and Laura gasped in horror as he was about to pound him!

"HEY! DON'T DO THAT!" Laura screamed, catching his attention. He gasped at his mistake and let the little cub run to his friend.

"So...You'd have the _audacity_... to hammer one of nature's INNOCENT creatures?" She croaked, staring at him with such sadness he just stared at this wonderful creature, who had little knowledge of the human race.

"N-no, I swear! I-I didn't even know he was there!" He tried to explain, but his stammering made him feel even more guilty.

"What kind of creature are you?" she asked, staring at his deep blue eyes. "First you chopped an innocent tree, now you nearly hurt my friend?"

The Once-ler didn't say anything, he just backed away sadly. "Look, I don't want any trouble, But I'm not leaving. I NEED these trees. They're like...what i need for my success!"

Laura stared at this man with disgust. So he cares about his profit, huh? Well this is going to be a challenge.

"Fine then." She spoke softly. "But I leave you with this warning: If you're not gone by the time the sun sets on this valley, ALL the forces of nature will be unleashed upon you, and CURSE you, until the end of your days."

"Yeah, well. We'll see about that. "The Once-ler mumbled back. not taking his eyes of the beautiful girl.

"Alright." She said before turning to leave. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

And with that, she and the rest of the forest creature walked away, The Once-ler staring at her as she did. He could feel the warm presence of her sweetness, he only wanted to get closer.

"Y'know, I used to think she's beautiful..." The Once-ler said to himself. "But Now...She's flat out _irresistible_."

He silently swore to get close to this pretty girl. No matter what it took.

* * *

"Wow, Papa." Ivy said in awe. "You're really committed."

The Once-ler gushed at his daughter's comment. "Thanks. I am."

"But, I knew this guy was gonna put up quite a fight." Laura said. "So, mama came up with a plan."

"Ooh, What'd you do, momma?" Rose asked eagerly.

"Yeah, what'd you do?" The rest repeated.

Laura Chuckled. "Well..."


	3. Float-away bed!

It was nighttime, the air was calm, the fireflies buzzed, one of them eaten curiously by one of the humming fish and his eyes glowed and he scared off his friends... And the Once-ler? Heh. That dang Once-ler...He was just about finished knitting his little "Invention". he smiled to himself once he finished sewing and biting the thread off.

"Now _that's _a Thneed," he smiled proudly. "Nothing unmanly about knitting. No sir."

Little did he know, Laura and her animal friends were watching the whole ordeal. She smirked. This was the perfect moment.

"This is it guys, Now listen closely. "She instructed in a motherly tone before revealing a fairly rusty frying pan to them. "I stole this from his little habitat. I don't know what it is, But I'm pretty sure that it's a weapon. when he least suspects it, I'll knock him out with it. Then, you steal the bed. Understand?"

The animals nodded in understanding. Laura smiled proudly at her little companions. Who knew they were so smart? Laura nodded to them in confirmation, and approached the Once-ler's window with such stealth, that she felt like a little ninja. Slowly but surely (and quietly), She opened the window, Just in time for her to see Once-ler grab his vocal device (As she called it.), and place the strap over his shoulder.

She paused and watched him place his fingers on the strings...and strum...She was puzzled. Was he going to sing or something?

🎶 _Sleep tight my dear, where your dreams will take flight..._

_And fire flies dance in your heart now, tonight._

_Rest, Darling dear, and you hopes will ignite,_

_ And I'll protect you, from the sorrows and fright..._🎶

Laura gasped and stared. For a guy who doesn't consider others, he sure has a good voice...A really...REALLY...Good voice...

Laura felt something in her chest. Something she had never felt before...Her stomach felt light...what was this?

🎶_Hush now, my dear and i'll be here, so true._

_As long as you dream, That i'd be there with you... _🎶

Laura shook her head. She had a mission to complete! She had to get rid off this guy, once and for all.

🎶 _Rest darling dear, for there's no need to fear,_

_As long as you dream that i'd be...right..here... _🎶

_BANG!_

In a blink, the Once-ler was lying unconscious on the bed, knocked cold by the merciless swing of Laura's weapon. She looked at the weapon, then at the young man, To make sure he was unconscious of course. She smiled to see him asleep and alive. Although, he did look kinda cute in his little jammies, and his ebony hair spread across the bed a little bit, the adorable noises he made when he slept...

She shook her head again.

_No._ She thought. _You can't get distracted, Laura! Just get this over with._

She turned towards her animal friends and silently nodded. The Animals knew what that meant. With mischievous smirks on their faces, they snuck into the young man's house and lifted the bed carefully, making sure not to wake him up (Which was really hard, he was a heavy sleeper.). Laura snorted when they kept banging the bed on the door, trying to get it outside.

"Oh, dear!" She giggled. "Try it sideways, dearies!"

They nodded and obeyed. It worked like a charm, Laura smiled proudly at them as if they were her children.

* * *

"So,wait, wait,wait, wait." Ivy said, interrupting the story. "Let me get this straight. You knocked out Dad...with a frying pan?"

"Why, yes i did." Laura replied matter-of-factly.

"When he was singing our lullaby?" Poppy added.

"Um...yes. Back then I wanted to execute my plan-"

"_In_ his bunny pajamas?" Buttercup asked.

"Yes. Now can I continue?" Their mother asked.

"Yes, mother." Petunia spoke for them.

"Thank you 'tunia." She said. "Now, where was i?"

* * *

Laura hummed to herself as she led her forest friends towards the river, where the fish were waiting for them, She smiled and curtsied politely to them, whereas the fish bowed back.

"Alright, little ones." She instructed quietly. "Place it in, _slowly_..."

The animals obeyed, and slowly but surely, the bed floated gently on the river bank, Laura watched the young man sleep clueless as he drifted away slowly.

"Sweet dreams, lover boy~" Laura teased as she waved goodbye to the handsome stranger before turning to her animal friends. "Good Job, my darlings! None of this could've happened if it weren't for you!"

The animals blushed at the compliment. Not only was This lady beautiful, she was really nice, she even acted like a mother to them! A caring, loving mother who knew their well-being and knew what was best for them. and they appreciated her for that.

But then, just as they were about to celebrate, the youngest bar-ba-loot, Pipsqueak appeared on the bedstead and waved at them, Laura gasped in a mixture of disbelief and horror.

"Oh no, Pipsqueak!" She called, only for him to giggle and wave again.

Laura turned to one of the Bar-ba-loots. "_Please_, tell me he can swim!"

The brown creature shook his head, much to Laura's horror.

"Oh dear!" Laura squeaked before turning back to the little brown creature, who was floating away.

She looked down at the water and froze. The water looked fresh, but she was too scared to even put a toe in it. She looked back the little one, then realized her fear was to worry about later, his life was at stake!

"I have an idea." Laura mouthed before sprinting towards the direction the runaway bed was floating. "Hang on, little one!"

The creatures followed their friend, while keeping and eye on the bed. Laura turned to the humming fish.

"Can you try to stop that bed, little fish?!" Laura called out, catching their attention.

The fish nodded and pulled on the covers of the bed and tried to pull, it would've worked...except instead of the bed itself, they pull the covers right off! The Once-ler shivered at this sudden chill and pulled Pipsqueak into a cuddle. Laura watched in amazement.

"Aw..." She tittered before continuing to run.

Just then, she saw a tree right next to the river, an idea popped in her mind. but first she placed a hand on the tree.

"I'm sorry, little sapling." She whispered before ushering the creatures up the stem. "Get up! Get _up_!"

One by one, the creatures climbed up the tree, their weight, bending the tree downward, It didn't take Laura long for her to realize that the weight wasn't heavy enough. She looked around, she saw Lou, the fattest bear in (almost) the entire forest! She rubbed her chin.

"Hey, Louie..." She spoke. "Would you do me a favor and climb the tree?"

The fat bear shook his head stubbornly. Laura frowned.

"Come on, Louis, we don't have time for this!" She groaned. "Your brother's in _danger_!"

The brown bear continued to refuse. Laura glared at him sternly.

"Listen. If you don't climb that tree, you're not getting any truffula fruits for a week!" She snapped in a motherly tone.

Lou's eyes widened, and almost immediately, he climbed the tree, followed by Laura, who hoisted herself upside down of the branch as soon as she reached the top. Pipsqueak looked up to see his friend.

"Alright, little one! Come on!" Laura smiled reassuringly. "Be a good boy, now! reach out!"

Pipsqueak reached out to her, but as soon as he did, Laura lost her balance, and landed on the bed, her face planted on the white mattress, Pipsqueak gasped and quickly crawled to her, checking if she was alright. She groaned as she slowly raised her head, turning to the worried bar-ba-loot with a smile.

"It's alright, little one. I'm safe." She whispered reassuringly.

She turned to the Once-ler and took a close look at this strange man. His pale skin reminded her of her favorite colored tree. She gazed in wonder at his hair, it looked like one of the rocks in the pond...So black, and so... smooth. She hesitantly placed a hand on his hair, it felt soft...Like the the tree's silky tufts. She looked at him in shock. He really WAS different from the forest, yet...she felt...deep down inside her...that it really wasn't the case this time around. She seemed to like it when he made those adorable noises while he was sleeping.

The strange feeling in her chest was back. So was the feeling in her gut and stomach, she felt like a thousand fireflies dancing in the air, as if she and the strange man were the only people in the place, she felt...connected to him somehow.

That connection was short lived, however, when she looked ahead of them, She gasped and shook the Once-ler up.

"Hey," She whispered. "H-hey, Beanstalk! Wake up!"

Pipsqueak watched Laura's attempt, then had an idea, he ran to the foot of the bed, his weight flipping it over. Laura was caught in surprised and coughed at the rude awakening, followed by coughs and splutters of the Once-ler.

His eyes popped open as he was now soaking wet and covered with fish, who went back into the water immediately. He turned to Laura, who was now soaking wet as well, and giggling nervously, not sure how to explain this to him.

"What's happening?! Where is- Where am I?!" He stammered in startle and confusion, before turning to the lovely maiden. "And uh...What are you doing in my bed?"

Laura giggled nervously again. "Well, uh... All that can be explained..." She pointed past him. "Once we get out of the raging rapids of doom."

"Wha...?" he croaked before turning around to see raging rapids roaring loudly. He screamed in terror. "WHOO! WE'RE IN A RIVER!"

Laura bit her fingers and turned to the trees. Her eyes furrowed in determination, for she had an idea. She lifted her hand, and immediately, two vines sprouted up from the ground and zipped towards them. Meanwhile, the Once-ler started screaming hysterically, bracing for impact, until...

There came none.

He opened an eye to see that he was in front of the rapids, yes, but he wasn't moving at all! He looked around to see what made him stop, only to see Laura, one arm stretched out, the other holding it to keep it up, her face filled with pain and stress, and vines gripping onto the bedstead. He stared in amazement. Wow, This girl was magical! Not only was she beautiful, she had powers! He smiled lovingly and gratefully at this amazing woman who had just saved his life.

Laura felt something wrap around her waist and weight on her shoulder, she turned to see the Once-ler, resting his head on her shoulder and...hugging her? She stared at him in confusion.

"What are you doing?" She asked, stunned.

"Look, I don't know _what_ you know about us humans..." He replied in a low whisper. "But this is called: "Appreciation"."

"Appreciation? What...What's that?" She asked.

"Do you...ever get the feeling...when you love something so much, that you just want to thank them for being in your life?" He asked softly.

Her eyes widened a bit, then she smiled a little. "Yeah...yeah..._Sometimes_..."

"Then that's what it's called." He whispered.

"Hmm...You know...I kinda like this..."Appreciation.". It feels...nice."

"Yeah..." He sighed dreamily. "It does."

Pipsqueak watched this mushiness unfold, making barf noises and pointing his finger to his tongue. But then, they heard something snap. They turned to see the vines break a little bit. they're eyes narrowed as it began to snap more, the bed jerking forward each time it did.

"Oh..." The Once-ler spoke.

"...dear." Laura finished for him.

_SNAP!_

* * *

The vines broke, releasing the bed and allowing it to crash on to the rapids, the trio screaming as it did, The bed crashed onto many rocks (each one bigger than the last), surprisingly not damaged or broken each time it did. Laura screamed and held onto Once-ler, making him smile and blush before turning back to the rapids, scream, and cover his eyes. Pipsqueak held onto Laura's dress as they crashed their way out of the rapids. By the end, it was back to the calm river from before, The Once-ler uncovered his eyes to see the calm river. He smile spread widely across his face.

"We made it..." He spoke, excitement clearly in his voice. "WE MADE IT! WE'RE ALIVE!"

Laura opened her eyes and looked. He was right. They were alive! Laura laughed with joy and relief as she let go of the man. They looked at each other with dignity and respect, Their eyes just getting lost in each other. Pipsqueak interrupted them, however with his worried squeals.

"Oh, what is it, Pip?" She asked before turning to his direction. She froze, her eyes narrowed, and she turned the Once-ler to face the same direction as her.

"Oh...No." he spoke in irritation.

Apparently, they weren't done,for they were heading for a huge waterfall. The Once-ler screeched as he used a pillow as a rowing oar, trying to steering them around to no avail. Laura watched them in fright and bit her lip, looking around for something to stop them. She saw a huge boulder on top of them, and she had yet another idea.

"Hang, tight, Boys!" She yelled before pulling out a long, light green ribbon.

She lassoed the boulder with the ribbon and pulled, causing it to topple over, and just as they were about to face certain doom, the boulder landed on top of the bed, catapulting them through the air. The Once-ler reached out and grabbed Pipsqueak to protect him, Laura falling as well.

They all landed with a sickening thud. The Once-ler landed on his tush, holding onto Pipsqueak, who escaped his grasp. He touched his chest, overjoyed and relieved. He laughed.

"Laura, Laura, We're ok!" The Once-ler squealed before turning back. Only to his shock, Laura was lying limp on the ground, her face not visible, seemingly planted on the soft grass. Her dress and hair spread on the grass. The Once-ler crawled towards her, and turned her to face him.

"Laura...wake up! Y-You're safe now!" He pleaded quietly, shaking her.

No response. The Once-ler panicked, pressing his hands on her chest for revival. STILL no response. Tears filled his eyes as he tried again. No response. Not one. The animals surrounded him as he pressed his lips on hers, _slowly_...then he breathed his life into hers.

Slowly but surely, her eyes fluttered open, just to see a man on top of her! she screamed in alarm and pushed him off, startling him as well.

"Wha- What happened?!" She yelled. "Why were you on me?! Is Pipsqueak safe?! What happened to-"

She was stopped by a hug from the Once-ler. she felt something wet on her shoulders.

"Oh, thank goodness! I thought you were dead!" he squealed in a mixture of joy and relief.

Laura was hesitant, but she hugged him back slowly, stroking his hair tenderly. "I-It's ok...Sir."

He pulled away to get a look at her precious blue eyes and smiled. "Please, Call me Once-ler."

Laura seemed to smile back. "Alright...Mr. "Once-ler"."

"You saved my life...TWICE." He smirked. "Thank you."

"Ah, well..." She played with his hair to tease him. "You weren't so bad, yourself~"

He giggled like an idiot at her very arousing behavior. Who knew she was so adorable?

"You should've seen us! We were about to go over that waterfall!" He smiled, pulling Laura close to his chest. But then he realized something. "wait...by my bed- how did my bed get in the river?"

Laura shifted her eyes away in guilt. "Erm...About that, uh...Actually..."

She didn't even look at the young man when she confessed: " Weputyourbedinthewater."

The Once-ler's eyes widened in realization, his jaw dropped. He pushed her away from him, got up and started to walk away, tinged with betrayal and disgust.

"Look, I'm _so_ sorry!" Laura pleaded, crawling to him on her knees, clasping her hand together. "I don't know what came over me, i _swear_!"

The Once-ler didn't buy it. He continued to walk away. Laura got up and followed him.

"I didn't mean you _any_ harm!" She choked, standing in front of him and stopping him in his tracks and looked up to look at her. "I just wanted to calmly float you away!"

The Once-ler stared at her, innocence shining in her eyes. He decided to stop and listen contently.

"Look, I'm so sorry if it had to come to this and...I know you're probably mad..." She squeaked. "But...We _need _these trees... And you can't just..._waltz_ in this valley and chop them down! That's just...messed _up_."

The Once-ler stared at her with sympathy and regret. She was right. He couldn't just walk into someone else's property, destroy that property, and act like you own the place. That's not what his mother taught him to do. He felt a light tug at his pants and looked down to see Pipsqueak holding onto it. He bit his lip. He knew what to do.

"Ok...Look," He knelt down to the animal's level."I hereby swear to never chop down another tree."

He stood up and held one hand over his heart, raising the other one. "I promise."

Laura's eyes filled with tears of joy. "Really?!"

Laura caught the Once-ler off guard with a hug and a slightly tight squeeze. "Oh, Thank you! Thank you so _much_!"

The Once-ler was puzzled at first, but gladly hugged her back. Until she awkwardly pulled away, not looking at him.

"Well Uh... Just so you know," She said sternly, pointing a finger at him. "I'm gonna be keeping an eye on you to make sure you adhere to that promise."

"Of course you will, you little _pumpkin_!" The Once-ler said in a cutesy manner, booping her nose. She, in turn, looked at him with cute bunny eyes. "But, I've got a big day tomorrow so i'm going to get some sleep."

"What's sleep?" She asked.

" Wha- You don't know what sleep is?" He asked.

"No...I suppose not." She replied shyly.

"Well Um... Sleep is what you do when you're Uh...Really tired and/or your body is getting ready for another day. Think of it like a computer shutting down to reboot itself. And when you're ready to use it, it'll be fresh as a daisy." He explained.

"What's a...Com...pu...ter?" Laura asked in wonder.

"Um...It's a kind of device you use." He explained before walking off to find his bed. "for work, and for play."

"But why do you need that when you can play in the grass?" Laura asked, following him.

"Society is plagued with technology these days." He replied.

"What's technology?" Laura asked.

"It's a..."

The animals watched as the two youths walked until they could no longer hear their voices.


	4. Memories

The onceler sighed as he placed his pillow on his newly found bed. It took him hours to scrub off the excess salt water off of it, but he managed to get it off smoothly. He yawned and got on the bed with a smirk. Boy, _that_ was a bumpy night.

But before he laid on the bed, he heard a sweet, melodious song come from right outside. It sounded like...sweet nightingales who sang their songs passionately. He opened his windows to look outside to see...her. sitting on the grass, watching the fireflies fly by. Her orange, wispy hair and light green dress shining preciously in the moonlight. He sighed lovingly. She must've been thinking about this whole ordeal too.

Then, he heard it.

🎶_Oh, Life is blur, where joy of it sings,_

_Where moon, stars and sun ring the bells, let them ring._

_Oh, I wonder, why that is?_🎶

The Once-ler's jaw dropped at this melodious voice. But he kept quiet and watched.

🎶_ Oh, Life is a joy, where love of it grows,_

_The pain follows me wherever i go..._

_Oh, I wonder...How it works..._🎶

The Once-ler rested his head and listened to the tune of her voice. It felt sad...yet comforting...yet...inspirational.

🎶_Someday, Where all of the precious plants grow,_

_Where i'll be right here, where nobody knows._

_My love will come find me, I know it! I bet!_

_But for now...I know...Not yet... _🎶

The Once-ler imagined himself in his best suit and tie, dancing with his dream girl, like they were the only two in the room.

🎶_ Someday, at all, where my life is a breeze,_

_Where no one will judge when i do as I please..._🎶

A tear fell down her cheek as she sang the last part.

🎶_My love, find me..._

_I beg...you...please..._🎶

"Nice song." A voice startled her.

She spun around to see the Once-ler resting his head on his hands on the the window sill of his tent. She felt her cheeks heating up.

"Ah- How long were you there?" She asked nervously.

"Long enough." He replied with a smile.

"Oh...Well...D-do you like it?" She asked.

"Like it? I _love_ it!" He said proudly, making her blush even more.

"Well, comes right off the table i guess." She smiled before yawning.

But before he could respond, she brushed the grass and laid on it, closing her eyes and sleep. The Once-ler watched in disbelief. He stepped outside and watched the beauty sleep, shaking his head.

"Ok, no,no,no, no, no." He said, waking her up and approaching her. "This can't work."

"What can't work?" She asked, puzzled.

"_This_! This whole mess, You can't _sleep _out here!" He said matter of factually. "It's freezing!"

"Well, for _your_ information,I _sleep_ here all the time!" She said defensively. "From the time i was a kid! Lay off!"

"wait, wait, wait , wait, wait." he said. "You've _been_ here before?"

"Yes!" She replied grumpily. "I used to come here all the time, You weren't the _only_ human, y'know."

The Once-ler stared in shock. Did other humans really come to places like these?

"Ok..." He said. "Look, you're sleeping with me tonight. Period."

"But-" She started.

"No "buts", "Ifs" or "ands". I insist!"he said.

She sighed. "Well, alright. But just for tonight."

" Yes!" He exclaimed excitedly, pumping his fists in the air before turning around and keeping a composure. "I mean- yeah, yeah, cool."

"And no funny business, got it?" She said.

"Yes, ma'am." he smiled respectfully before walking to the house with her. " And y'know, it's gets kinda lonely nowadays, so i'm glad you came."

She smiled. "A pleasure to help."

* * *

It didn't take long for the two to get acquainted, as it turned out, they really weren't different, they have the same interests, same motivations and same taste in style. Laura smiled as she took a sip of her tea.

"Wow Once-ler." she laughed. "You really know how to crack a mean joke."

"Yeah..." He sighed. " My family doesn't like them though."

"Why? What's wrong with your jokes?" She asked in concern.

"What's wrong to them?" he sighed. "They think their the jokes of a failure."

"But you're not a failure."

"Uh...Ok, enough talk about me, Lets talk about you." He smiled. " Where did you come from?"

"Oh...Well.." She cleared her throat. "When I was a little girl, my sister and I-"

"Sister?" He asked, puzzled.

"Yes. My sister's a sprite. Her name is Fantasia." She spoke.

"So, doesn't that make you a sprite, too?" He asked.

"Oh, no. We're related, but its different from the human world. You see, I'm a nymph. My sister is as old as time itself, but, she couldn't look a day over twenty-three. You see, when I was little, she used to take me here to help guard the forest (Along with practicing my magic along the lines),"

* * *

It was nineteen years ago, the sun was shining, the truffula trees with blowing with the breeze, and a certain little nymph with light blue eyes and orange hair was practicing her magic, her elder sister watching it.

Fantasia was as old as time itself. Yet beautiful and kind as the spring. her long flowing hair was the color of a red rose, adorned with pink flowers, she wore a dress made of fresh, pink flowers, with eyes the color of a fresh green leaf, and her voice was so soft...filled with life and joy when she was happy.

Now Laura, back then, Didn't even have a name. She was about six years old when she last visited this magical place, still handling her plant magic, Fiora showed her how, and she seemed to understand, but...no matter how hard she tried, it just didn't seem to work. They were on a hill side when Laura tried again.

"Come on, kid, you can do it!" Fantasia encouraged her as she strained to get something to grow.

"I don't...think...I can handle this!" Laura squealed, sweat pouring from her brow.

"Just a little more! Come on!" Fantasia said, a glint of encouragement in her eye.

Just then, a tiny sprout appeared from the soil, Young Laura fumbled and landed on her tush, blowing a strand of stray hair from her face. Fantasia looked at the little sapling, unsure of it. Laura was especially upset. It took _all _her strength and time to grow _this_?!

"Well..." She said with a nervously smile. "You certainly gave it your all..."

"Aw," The young one whined. "That's not even enough to feed a bunny."

"Aw, don't be so hard on yourself. " Fantasia spoke, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We can try again next time."

"Ugh, There won't be a next time, Fanta..." Laura sighed. "No matter how hard I try, i just can't handle this."

"Come on, kid, you'll get better, I just know it!" Fantasia reassured her, only for her to huff.

"I doubt it." She scoffed.

"hey, hey. Look at me." Her elder sister spoke, turning her around to face her. "We don't _ever_ use the word "doubt" around here, Ok?"

Laura looked up with her big blue eyes, but didn't say anything. Fantasia smirked and placed a hand in her pocket.

"Y'know..." She spoke. "I _was_ saving this for _later_, but..."

She pulled out a necklace with a thin silver chain, and in the middle stood a crystal green tourmaline gemstone in the shape of a butterfly. Laura gasped.

"Your necklace of eternal life." She whispered in realization.

Fantasia nodded. "And it's all yours. Just as long as you wear this necklace, not only with you live forever, but my memory will live on in you."

Laura's eyes sparkled with anticipation as Fantasia placed the necklace over her head and gently pulled her hair over it. Her elder sister smiled proudly as she saw her, in that beautiful necklace.

"There... Now you've gotta promise to keep this safe at all times." Fantasia instructed. "Can you do that?"

Laura quickly nodded reassuringly. "I will, Fantasia! I promise!"

Fantasia smiled and planted a soft kiss on the young one's forehead, knowing that she could trust her with this great gift.

But then, Laura heard a low cough. She looked up to see Fantasia in a fit of coughs, She held onto her worriedly.

"Fantasia?!" She croaked. "Are you okay?! What's wrong with you?!"

"I'm fine, kid-" Fantasia started before coughing more sickeningly and frequently.

The sound of trees falling startled them, they turned to see a young man nearby, with light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing black and grey tacky attire, black gloves with a grey vest and blue skinny jeans, holding some sort of...ax, Carrying a fallen Truffula tree to his hideaway.

"Oh no..." Fantasia said in a low whisper. She turned to her sister in fear. She had to get her out of there!

Using her magic, Fantasia summoned a portal, just about Laura's size.

"i need you to get in there, Now!" Fantasia instructed.

"But-But what if-" Laura started.

"Just go!" Fantasia screamed, and before Laura knew what was going on, Fantasia had already pushed her inside the portal.

The next thing she knew, Laura was inside a room, where nobody knew she was even there. She looked around, trying to look for someone, or _something_ to talk to, but it was no use. She was all alone. She curled herself in the corner of her bed, hugged her knees, placing her face on them and sobbed.

This was it. She was never going to see her sister again, and now she's stuck in who knows where. She lifted the necklace to stare at this gash of a reminder that she had just lost her sister. She felt...alone.

* * *

"Now, who can guess why she didn't come back for awhile?" Laura asked her children, and almost immediately everyone raised their hands.

"Ooh, Ooh!" Rose exclaimed. "I bet she fell in love with the man! It'd be so romantic!"

Buttercup stuck out her tongue. "Aw, that's mushy stuff! I say she smashed the human to _bits_!"

"_Or_," Ivy interrupted. "She had a heart-to-heart talk with the guy. There's no harm with reasoning."

Laura shook her head and chuckled. But then she looked up to see her eldest daughter, silent as a mouse.

"Vi," She said in a soft voice. "What do _you_ think?"

Violet looked up solemnly. "Um...What Rose said."

"SEE?!" Rose exclaimed. "Even big sissy agrees with me!"

"Whatever!" Buttercup mumbled before Rose blew a raspberry at her.

"Alright, Alright. Settle down." Laura said in a motherly tone, quieting them instantly. "Ok, here's how it went..."

* * *

"It took months for her to come back," Laura said softly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I was worried sick!"

The Once-ler stared with sympathy. "Oh, you poor thing, I'm so sorry..."

He placed a hand on hers, only for her to pull it away to make him flinch.

"B-but I was just a kid. What was I supposed to do?" She mumbled sadly.

The Once-ler bit his lip. "Yeah...I know how you feel... I used to feel helpless too when i was a kid.."

Laura perked up at this new word. "Helpless? What's that?"

"Um...Its as feeling, when you feel alone and the world has turned against you, and...you just...don't know what to do."

"Oh..." Laura said solemnly.

Silence filled the room, only the crickets chirped as the youths looked away from each other for a moment, until the Once-ler broke the silence with the question:

"So...What happened to Fantasia?"

Laura looked at him, pain written clearly in her eyes. "Well...She came back...But..."

* * *

Young Laura still sobbed in her little corner, waiting patiently yet sorrowfully for her dear sister's return. Until... she felt something soft brush through her hair. She gasped and looked up to a familiar face of peach, with rose red hair that flowed to her waist, adorned by multi-colored flowers, and her eyes...her green leaf eyes are what gave her away as she smiled brightly at the young nymph. Laura recognized her immediately.

"Fa-Fantasia?" She croaked.

The woman only spread a wider smile, Laura's lips matched her smile as she realized...

"It is! It really is you!" She squealed as she wrapped her arms around the sprite's neck.

Fantasia giggled as she carefully wrapped her arms around the little one's tiny body. "That's right, I'm here...I'm sorry for not coming back for a while, kid. It's just...I got...distracted."

"Distracted?"Laura let go of her and stared in confusion. "What do you mean... "Distracted"?"

Fantasia giggled nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well...When I pushed you in the portal, I...consulted with the human..."

"And?"

"Well... after a few days...I enjoyed spending time with him..."

"_AND_?" Laura pressed. She was getting impatient now.

"Well...One day...I started to..."

Laura's face showed utter horror and sadness as she slowly started to realize what was going on. Fantasia bit her lip and shifted her eyes away from the little one.

"To..."

Laura sniffed and felt tears fall down her face. "No...It can't be true...You...You..."

Laura couldn't bear to even look at the sprite as she uttered the words:

"You're having feelings for him, aren't you?"

Fantasia knelt to her eye level and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Kid, I'm so sorry."

Laura pushed her hands away and walked towards the door. "all this time...And you never thought of _me_ first?!"

"Please, try to understand..." Fantasia spoke.

She couldn't hear it. She'd had enough. Laura sprinted out of the room and into the cloud kingdom, the screams of her name following her.

"KID! KID!"

* * *

"HA! I KNEW IT! Rose said, interrupting the story.

"Whatever!" Buttercup frowned.

"Alright Rose, no need to brag." Laura said.

"Yes, Mommy."

* * *

"And after that...we never spoke..." Laura explained.

"Oh..."The Once-ler said with empathy carved in his voice. "Wow..."

"At least for a little while," She sighed, before lighting up. "B-but after a little while, our relationship got better again."

"Oh!" He smiled in reassurance. "That's good to know."

Awkward silence filled the room for a while. Laura couldn't help but sneak awkward glances at this fascinating young man who had chopped her tree down earlier today, whereas the young man did the same. But...when they did look at each other, Laura started to wonder about the features of his face, how his cheeks were perfectly round and squishy, his hair was the the color of coal, fresh, smooth coal...And his eyes are what got her the most. How they were bluer than the river, and almost the daylight sky. She felt so... safe with this man, somehow. Like they're the only things that make her feel warm inside, and she liked that.

The Once-ler, on the other hand, was getting lost in his trance with this..._enchanting_ woman's appearance. Her hair reminded him of pumpkins and carrots he used to eat back at home, her glowing skin look soft and gentle, like a little baby. and her eyes, those precious, jewel eyes, they looked like a clean, fresh ocean peacefully resting on the earth. He tried his best not to blush at the small giggle she made. Like he said before...she was _irresistible_.

"So..." Laura spoke, breaking the silence. "This brown water with the small white cylinders in it...what is it?"

"Huh?" He said, still in his love struck trance. A second later, he shook his head and blushed. "Oh! That! R-right...Um...That's called "Cocoa"."

"Oh. How...How is it made exactly?" she asked curiously. "Does it come from a tree?"

"Well...If you put it that way...yes." He shrugged. "Fun fact: The liquid is actually made of water. We get it by preserving rain drops and-"

"Preserve? What's that?" She asked in curiosity.

The Once-ler giggled a bit. This girl was so adorably oblivious.

"Well, Preserve is when you wanna save up or to keep things safe for later." he explained.

"Ah, I see." Laura said, slowly starting to understand. But then she turned and saw a strange pink object lying on his bed. "What's that thing?"

"Oh! That's my invention."

"Invention?" She said, puzzled.

"Yeah. An invention is something new that you create out of ideas. It can be used for something useful." He explained. "For example, This thing is useful, cause it can help me for my business to grow-"

"What's a business?" She asked.

he sighed with a smile on his face and shook his head. "You really are the inquisitive one, aren't ya?"

"Inquisitive?" She asked with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Yes, it means "asking a lot of questions just because your curious." He explained before yawning. "Welp, that's enough questions for now, time to get some sleep."

He laid his head on his pillow and invited her to laid down next to him. With a hesitant glance, she reluctantly did so. She surprisingly got comfortable, and he pulled the cover sheets over them and turned to her with a smile.

"Sweet dreams, buttercup." he smiled tiredly.

"Will I ever see you in my dreams?" Laura asked.

"Well...Hope for the best, sunshine..." He yawned before closing his eyes. "Hope for the best.."

Laura blushed as he made those adorable noises again, but this time, she smiled to herself, as she too felt her eyes heavy, and not realizing that she herself dozed off.

They've had enough adventure for the night.


End file.
